FREEPORT — Alderman continue to explore the possibility of reforms aimed at cracking down on lax landlords in Freeport, but some property owners are concerned that new requirements would place an unnecessary burden on responsible landlords and their tenants.

“I applaud the city for putting together a task force,” said Jim Graham, owner of JD Graham Properties LCC.

“But this piece of legislation will not help crime. If I were a tenant I’d be upset the city wants to know where I live, who I live with and who visits me. I could see if a certain property has a lot of complaints the city going to the landlord, but you can’t put a blanket over all tenants.”

Graham’s company oversees 24 properties with 26 tenants. He said a proposed ordinance that would require landlords to register their properties and monitor their tenants is intrusive.

“I don’t understand how this ensures the safety of inhabitants and welfare of citizens,” Graham said. “It’s some type of regulation that will infringe on people’s right to privacy.”

Shawn Boldt, 2nd Ward alderman, was pleased that many landlords spoke out about the proposal at a meeting Tuesday.

“The purpose is to give landlords and police the tools that they need to deal with situations,” Boldt said. “It always can be tweaked or altered. We will continue to make it better and stronger. There’s already been great discussion on this and it hasn’t even hit the council floor.”

The Residential Property Task Force has discussed the issue since the spring, looking for ways to lessen crime and hold landlords responsible for the condition and appearance of their properties. According to City Engineer Shaun Gallagher, 38 percent of housing stock in the city is rental properties, 2,200 properties and 4,700 rental units.

“My feeling is that (landlords) support the ordinance and the changes it makes for the most part,” Boldt said. “They seem to be most concerned about the fee structure.”

The ordinance requires all landlords to:

n Register their property with the city annually.

n Pay a yearly fee between $25-$45 depending on how many people each property houses.

n Add wording to rental agreements that requires tenants to provide the names of all who are staying there for more than seven days.

Page 2 of 2 - n And add a crime-free addendum to all leases that would allow landlords to evict tenants with multiple nuisance violations.

“The reason we want to do this is so we can track the landlords not doing such a good job taking care of tenants and property,” Boldt said.

Graham raised issues with having to file tenants personal information with the city, the requirement to have tenants report guests staying with them for more than a week, and the fines that would be levied against landlord if certain criteria aren’t met.

“This whole thing, it makes no sense,” Graham said. “We understand the needs of the city and police department. They are trying to rid the community of rundown properties and crime in these areas but having a lease on file, I don’t see what this will do to help them.”

A special meeting to discuss the proposals in more detail is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Oct. 28 at City Hall.